The Courseware Accessibility Study

Distance Education Survey Report (numbers in [ ] are number of responses)

The participants reported having good access to the internet for coursework with mostly Pentium-based computers (one was a Mac user). They rated their computer ability slightly above average which is consistent with their responses on the Computer Skills Assessment checklist where their average was 84% of the maximum score possible. All of the participants had prior experience with word processing and browsing the Web and reportedly felt comfortable working in front of a computer.

(CCE and EvNet)

[HOME] [Back to Appendix]

Part B: Computer Access

Please answer the following questions which ask about your experience using a computer. Indicate your response by either choosing of the appropriate selection, or by filling in the blank space provided.

Enter your Participant ID

1. Are you considering, or would you consider taking a course over the Internet?
	No, If No then please skip ahead to Question 14. (Jump to item 14)
[8]	Yes, If Yes then please answer the next question.

2. Do you have access to a computer which you could use for your Internet coursework?
	No, If No then please skip ahead to Question 14. (Jump to item 14)
[8]	Yes, If Yes then please answer the following questions.

3. Where is this computer located? (Indicate Yes or No for each location.)
	No [7]Yes At home
	No [2]Yes At work
	No [3]Yes Other (Please specify) [club], [university], [school]

4. Where is the computer you would use *most often* for your Internet coursework (Choose only one.)
[5]	At home
	At work
[2]	Other (Please specify) [club] [school]

Please answer questions 5 through 13 for the computer you would use most often for coursework.

5. Which one of the following best describes this computer? (Check one)
	286-based computer	[6]Pentium-based computer
	386-based computer	[1]Macintosh
[1]	486-based computer	Laptop (Specify: 386/486/Pentium)
	Other (Please Specify)

6. How many megabytes of RAM (Random Access Memory) is in this computer?
	Less than 1	[1]1 to 7.9	8 to 11.9
	12 to 15.9	[3]16 to 31.9	[1]32 to 63.9	[3]64 or more

7. Does this computer have a modem?
	No	[7] Yes
		If Yes, what is the baud rate (speed)?
		less than 14.4	14.4	[1] 28.8
		[2] 33.6	[3] 56.6	ISDN
		[2] Ethernet connection (high speed, ADSL, cable modem, LAN)
		Other (Please specify)

8. Do you personally have access to the Internet on this computer?
	No, If No then please skip ahead to Question 10. (Jump to question 12)
[8]	Yes

9. Which Internet services do you personally use from this computer? (Indicate Yes or No for each service)
	No [1]Yes Newsgroups No [8]Yes World Wide Web No [6]Yes Electronic Mail (E-mail) No [4]Yes Listserves No [3]Yes Gopher No [1]Yes Other (Please specify) [search engines; university library]

10. What is the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for this computer?
	[1]University of Toronto	America Online
	Compuserve	Employer network (at work)
	[6]Other private ISP (Please specify) [sympatico] [don't know] [Rogers@home] [University] [Internet Direct] [attglobal] [idirect]

11. Which Web browser do you prefer to use when you are accessing the World Wide Web?
	[6]Internet Explorer	[2]Netscape
	Mosaic	Opera
	Lynx	Other Web browser
	What version is your Web browser [4] [5.01] [4] [5] [4] [5]

12. What operating system is installed in this computer? (Indicate Yes or No for each operating system.)
	No [3]Yes MS Dos No Yes Windows 3.x No [5]Yes Windows 95/98 No [1]Yes Macintosh No Yes Linux No [1]Yes Other (Please specify) [windows NT]

13. What wordproccessor is installed in this computer? (Indicate Yes or No for each wordprocessor and indicate the version, if you know it, in the edit box that follows each.)
	No [5]Yes Wordperfect, Version [8][7][7][8] No [7]Yes MS Word, Version [97][97][97][7][4][2000] No [1]Yes Ami Pro/Word Pro, Version No Yes Other (Please specify)

14. Indicate which of the following computer applications you have used. (Indicate Yes or No for each application.)
	No [8]Yes Word processing No [4]Yes Spreadsheets No [5]Yes Databases No [1]Yes Statistical Programs No [6]Yes E-mail No [5]Yes Library electronic searches No [8]Yes Browsing the Web No [4]Yes Web Design No [1]Yes Newsgroups No [2]Yes Gopher No [4]Yes Listserves No [2]Yes Games No [2]Yes Programming No [2]Yes Home based utility programs (personal taxes, household budgeting, etc.) No [1]Yes Other (Please specify) [Presentation software]

15. Overall, how would you rate your level of comfort level working in front of a computer on this scale from 1 to 6, with 1='Very Uncomfortable' to 6='Very Comfortable'. Please select the option that best describes you.
working in fromt of a computer I am
Mean 5.6	1Very Uncomfortable 2Somewhat Uncomfortable 3Slightly Uncomfortable [1]4Slightly Comfortable [1]5Somewhat Comfortable [6]6Very Comfortable

16. Overall, how would you rate your level of computer ability on this scale from 1 to 6, with 1='novice' to 6='expert'. Please select the option that best describes you.
your computer ability is
Mean 4.1	1Novice skill level 2below average skill level [3]3Slightly below average skill level [2]4Slightly above average skill level [2]5Above average skill level [1]6Expert skill level

17. On this same scale, how would you rate your computer keyboard skills?
your keyboard skills are
Mean 4.4	1Novice skill level 2below average skill level [2]3Slightly below average skill level [2]4Slightly above average skill level [3]5Above average skill level [1]6Expert skill level

18. Have you purchased a new computer, or upgraded your existing computer, within the last year?
	No	[3] Yes
		If yes, this was?
		[3] A new computer	Hardware component upgrades to an existing computer.

Computer Skills Assessment Checklist

For the remaining 20 items on this page, please indicate your assessment of your current skill level for each task on a three point scale: don't know how, have tried it but not sure how, or do know how.

19. Turn a computer on and off
	Don't know how to Turn a computer on and off
	Tried before but not really sure how to Turn a computer on and off
[8]	Know how to Turn a computer on and off

20. open/close application (software program)
	Don't know how to open/close application
	Tried before but not really sure how to open/close application
[8]	Know how to open/close application

21. minimize/maximize windows
	Don't know how to minimize/maximize windows
	Tried before but not really sure how to minimize/maximize windows
[8]	Know how to minimize/maximize windows

22. resize/move windows
	Don't know how to resize/move windows
[2]	Tried before but not really sure how to resize/move windows
[5]	Know how to resize/move windows

23. work with multiple applications at the same time
	Don't know how to work with multiple applications at the same time
[1]	Tried before but not really sure how to work with multiple applications at the same time
[6]	Know how to work with multiple applications at the same time

24. cut and paste within and between applications
	Don't know how to cut and paste within and between applications
	Tried before but not really sure how to cut and paste within and between applications
[6]	Know how to cut and paste within and between applications

25. format and copy disks
	Don't know how to format and copy disks
	Tried before but not really sure how to format and copy disks
[5]	Know how to format and copy disks

26. open/close a word processing applications like WordPerfect or Word
	Don't know how to open/close a word processing applications
	Tried before but not really sure how to open/close a word processing applications
[8]	Know how to open/close a word processing applications

27. create a new document in a word processor
	Don't know how to create a new document in a word processor
	Tried before but not really sure how to create a new document in a word processor
[8]	Know how to create a new document in a word processor

28. capitalize, underline, bold and other text formatting in a word processor
	Don't know how to capitalize, underline, bold and other text formatting in a word processor
	Tried before but not really sure how to capitalize, underline, bold and other text formatting in a word processor
[7]	Know how to capitalize, underline, bold and other text formatting in a word processor

29. delete text in a word processing document
	Don't know how to delete text in a word processing document
	Tried before but not really sure how to delete text in a word processing document
[8]	Know how to delete text in a word processing document

30. save a word processing document to disk
	Don't know how to save a word processing document to disk
[1]	Tried before but not really sure how to save a word processing document to disk
[7]	Know how to save a word processing document to disk

31. print a word processing document
	Don't know how to print a word processing document
	Tried before but not really sure how to print a word processing document
[8]	Know how to print a word processing document

32. open an e-mail program
	Don't know how to open an e-mail program
	Tried before but not really sure how to open an e-mail program
[6]	Know how to open an e-mail program

33. read messages in an e-mail program
	Don't know how to read messages in an e-mail program
	Tried before but not really sure how to read messages in an e-mail program
[6]	Know how to read messages in an e-mail program

34. send e-mail messages
	Don't know how to send e-mail messages
	Tried before but not really sure how to send e-mail messages
[6]	Know how to send e-mail messages

35. delete e-mail messages
	Don't know how to delete e-mail messages
[1]	Tried before but not really sure how to delete e-mail messages
[2]	Know how to delete e-mail messages

36. get on to the Internet
	Don't know how to get on to the Internet
	Tried before but not really sure how to get on to the Internet
[4]	Know how to get on to the Internet

37. follow links
	Don't know how to follow links
[1]	Tried before but not really sure how to follow links
[7]	Know how to follow links

38. do simple searches
	Don't know how to do simple searches
	Tried before but not really sure how to do simple searches
[8]	Know how to do simple searches

39. go to specific sites through URLs
	Don't know how to go to specific sites through URLs
[1]	Tried before but not really sure how to go to specific sites through URLs
[6]	Know how to go to specific sites through URLs

Skills summary scores as a percentage of the maximum were: [95%][43%][95%][61%][89%][95%][95%][95%] with Mean = 84%, SD = 20%